Get a Glimpse Into Darby Stanchfield's Gorgeous Garden

She plays a political gladiator on Scandal, but there's nothing scandalous about the way Darby Stanchfield spends her off-set hours. You'll find her gardening around her Los Angeles home and loving every minute of it.

Down to Earth

Darby Stanchfield in one of the terraced beds where she grows kale and arugula. It’s occasionally a salad bar for the local deer, but this nature-lover doesn’t mind.

Like every character on her hit show, Scandal, Darby Stanchfield, who plays sassy White House press secretary Abby Whelan, has a dirty little secret. This one, though, involves actual dirt. Turns out the gorgeous redhead has a major green thumb.

Darby's patio garden kicks out a bumper crop of veggies, tomatoes, and herbs, which she tosses into huge green salads that are a source of envy at work. "I'm known as the brown-bagger on the Scandal set," she says.

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Signature Style

Darby sets an alfresco lunch on her patio. She tosses a cloth over an outdoor coffee table and plops down floor cushions. Even outdoor rooms need textiles, she says: “It keeps the atmosphere cozy and inviting.”

Credit the practicality to her Alaska upbringing. Dad was a commercial fisherman (think Deadliest Catch), and Darby and her sister foraged for morels and salmonberries. Fresh produce was scarce that far north, so visits to her grandfather's Washington state garden made a big impression. "From a very young age, I had that experience of those explosive flavors," Darby says. Now just about any fresh flavor she wants is right outside her door, ready to star in her latest salad creation.

Darby's Persimmon Pistachio Salad

Toss romaine with persimmon wedges, avocado chunks, chopped dill, and a handful of raw, unsalted pistachios. Drizzle with the juice of half a Meyer lemon and extra-virgin olive oil and toss. Sprinkle sea salt and cracked pepper to taste.